I’m not going to beat around the bush.
I see no statistical basis or player advantage that says No. 7 Michigan State (+6.5 underdogs with Tipico Sportsbook) should upset Duke on Sunday afternoon.
In his last ride with the Durham faithful, Mike Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils are one of the favorites to win the Men’s NCAA tournament. And aside from talents like Paolo Banchero and Wendell Moore–who any squad would be lucky to have–I can give you a laundry list of reasons corroborating that rationale. Duke is the eighth-best scoring team in the country (80.1 points per game). They rebound well (30th in the nation), pass like a well-oiled machine (9th overall in assists), and rarely if ever, give away points by fouling (third-lowest opponent free throw attempts in the country).
